Les Beaucamps High pupil Trevor Brehaut, 15, with one of the letters sent out in error by Social Security. In it, Trevor’s mother is asked whether Trevor would be leaving school at the end of term. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0799120)
SOCIAL SECURITY admitted an embarrassing blunder after it sent out letters to parents of Year 10 pupils claiming that their children would be entitled to leave school at 15.
The department wrongly threatened to withdraw hundreds of family allowances because it forgot that the States raised the school leaving age eight years ago.
The current 740 Year 10 pupils will be the first group of students compelled to stay on to complete Year 11, when they turn 16.
But this week parents received letters from Social Security telling them that their children were able to leave school at the end of this term and alternatively demanding to know where they would be continuing their education.
Parents were warned that if they failed to return the form by 4 August they would lose the allowance.
Social Security minister Mark Dorey admitted yesterday that the letter had been sent by mistake after there was confusion over which students would be leaving this year.
‘I received one of the letters myself,’ said Deputy Dorey.
‘The department apologises for the mistake and asks that parents who have received a letter in respect of a Year 10 pupil ignore it.’
The mistake has left many parents baffled.
Eleanor Norman, who is in Year 10 at La Mare de Carteret School, has only just turned 15.
When her mother, Ali Norman, received the letter from Social Security she was confused.
‘I thought “what are they talking about?”,’ she said.
‘It is ridiculous. It is astounding they can make a mistake of this magnitude.’
Although Eleanor was continuing in education, regardless of the leaving age, Mrs Norman filled in the form, just in case.
‘I didn’t want to risk losing our family allowance. If it was suspended it would be very hard to get it reinstated.’
The Brehaut family were also surprised when they received the letter.
Trevor Brehaut, 15, attends Les Beaucamps High. His father, Geoff, said they were not sure what to do about it.
‘We immediately knew it was a mistake,’ he said.
‘We knew they had upped the age group and that Trevor had another year. Social Security should know what is going on.’
Nicola Shier’s daughter, Gabriella, is at the Grammar School. She turned 15 on the day the letter arrived.
Mrs Shier filled out the form immediately out of fear of losing her family benefit.
She said that many parents had done the same.
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Article posted on 2nd July, 2009 - 2.30pm
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